Doctor of Alcantara

“As we announced on Saturday, Mr. Julius Eichberg is to bring out his charming and delightful ‘Doctor of Alcantara’ at the New York Theatre on Wednesday evening. The success of this opera at the French Theatre at once gave Mr. Eichberg a metropolitan reputation of which any composer might well be proud, and established the fact that English comic opera could be made a permanent feature of our amusements. The ‘Doctor’ will now be produced under the composer’s immediate direction, and under more favorable circumstances generally than when first introduced to our public.”

Includes cast list.

“Desirous of encouraging the growth of American art by fostering the productions of native composers, and believing that Comic Opera deserves to rank among the permanent sources of metropolitan amusement, the management of the New York Theatre would respectfully announce that they have organized a thoroughly efficient company for this important specialty, and are now enabled to announce the first regular season of American Opera, beginning on Wednesday evening, Oct. 3, when will be presented, with entirely new costumes, scenery and appointments, the genuine version of the charming American Opera Buffa,

The Doctor of Alcantara,

given under the direction of the composer, Julius Eichberg, with the following carefully selected cast…

…In announcing the production of this beautiful operetta, which achieved unprecedented popularity upon the occasion of its introduction in New York a few months since, the management takes pleasure in stating that the composer has enriched the score by the addition of several brilliant numbers, including a Tenor Romanza and a Duo for Soprano and Tenor, expressly written for this representation.

The Orchestral Department of this theatre, comprising the best instrumental talent in the city – nearly every artist engaged being an acknowledged virtuoso – is under the able direction of Julius Eichberg. The chorus is composed of carefully trained singers, and in every other department excellence has been conscientiously sought.”

Includes cast list.

“There has never been a more genuine musical success in this city than that which last summer attended the representations of Mr. Julius Eichberg’s ‘Doctor of Alcantara.’ It drew the audiences night after night, and could have been kept profitably on the stage of the French Theatre for some time longer, had not the management suspended operations. The composer himself now proposes to place the ‘Doctor’ again before the public, under more auspicious circumstances, at the New York Theatre. Besides the text produced last summer, Mr. Eichberg will now present some brilliant additions, including a tenor romanza, and a duo for soprano and tenor. The orchestra has been carefully selected by Mr. Eichberg from among the best performers of the city, and will be under his immediate direction. A fine chorus has also been secured. The following is the cast for the performance of the ‘Doctor’…”

Includes cast list.

“Mr. Eichberg’s excellent little opera of the ‘Doctor of Alcantara’ was produced here last evening. We hasten to say that the house was full, an announcement which will be both gratifying and surprising to the friends of the establishment. Messrs. Mark Smith and Lewis Baker have tried hard to deserve success. Let us hope that they are now on the point of achieving it. The ‘Doctor’ has been placed on the stage in neat and creditable style; the scene of the piece being prettily furnished and presenting a far brighter and more artistic aspect than its predecessor at the French Theatre. The cast too was good, although in this respect the comparison may not be so favorable. Mrs. Gomersal sang the music of Inez with animation and skill. Her voice is light but pleasing, and her presence in every way agreeable. Mrs. Mozart was, as heretofore, the Donna Lucrezia. The lady surprised us in this her initial role, and we notice with pleasure a steady improvement. The part of Isabella was entrusted to Miss M. Norton, who was too timid to do full justice to it or to her powers. She seems to have a pleasing voice, and won an encore in the ballad, ‘He still was there.’ As an actress she is evidently a novice. Mr. Farley was the Carlos, and did his best in a rather demonstrative style. The gentleman, however, is so useful and willing, and possesses withal so excellent a voice that he merits praise on almost every occasion. The other male roles were in the hands of Mr. Weinlich, Mr. Mark Smith and Mr. Gomersal. They were rendered sufficiently well to amuse the audience, and contribute to the success of the revival. A good orchestra, under Mr. Eichberg’s own direction, and a small but well-chosen chorus also added to this result. The success was more than complete, for it involved the repetition of almost every member of the opera. The ‘Doctor’ will be repeated every night until further notice.”

Includes cast list.

“The ‘Doctor of Alcantara,’ said to be the genuine version, will be given at the New York Theatre on Wednesday evening, Oct. 8d. This comic opera will be given under the direction of its composer, Julius Eichberg.”

“Triumphant success of Eichberg’s genuine version of the comic opera, the Doctor of Alcantara, which will be repeated every evening until further notice. Operatic Matinee on Saturday.”

“The version of the American comic opera The Doctor of Alcantara, which was presented at this establishment, in Broadway near Eighth street, during the past week, was quite a triumph. The piece will be retained during the present week, with the same strong cast. The orchestra is under the direction of Julius Eichberg, the composer of the opera.”

“Another attempt is being made to establish English Opera – to place it to some extent upon a permanent basis. This time its arena is the New-York Theater, and the members of the company are all most respectable artists without laying claim to personal celebrity. More will be achieved by an organization of this class than by infrequent, spasmodic attacks by artists of quasi celebrity. Still, if superior artists could have been brought together for the period of a season, the successful establishment of English Opera would be speedily and surely accomplished without the up-hill work which must necessarily attend the efforts of the present company. These can only achieve a comparative and not a commanding success.

The leading lady of the present organization is Mrs. Gomersal, who has a sweet voice and sings pleasantly and tastefully, and has beside a charming appearance, together with attractive manners. She is perfectly at home on the stage, and commands our sympathy and respect in all that she attempts. She is the most pleasing representative of the saucy serving maid that we have yet seen. Mrs. Mozart is an excellent artist, and is rapidly gaining stage ease, the perfect attainment of which will make her a most valuable member of an operatic company. Miss Norton is as yet a novice, but she has been well taught and has a very pleasant voice. Of her full capacities it is impossible to judge until she has measurably overcome her stage fright.

Mr. Farley has a fine tenor voice, which he generally uses with much artistic grace and expression, for his education has been very good. As an actor he is deficient in animation and in the power to identify himself with his part. In these respects, however, he shows signs of improvement. Mr. Mark Smith is an unexpected vocalist, with no pretension to any particular school, but with sufficient voice and knowledge to get up in the concerted music, and to make a very creditable personation of the ‘Doctor of Alcantara.’ Mr. Weinlich is a very good artist, but on this occasion his energy overran his propriety, for he shouted out to the evident discomfiture of his voice.

It will be perceived that the elements of this company are fair, but not first-class; still if they work together, we think that they will prove attractive in light operatic works. The chorus is exceedingly good, and a compact little orchestra, directed by Mr. Eichberg, renders the instrumental portion most effectively. ‘The Doctor of Alcantara’ has received both revision and addition at the hands of its author, Mr. Eichberg, and its many claims to popularity are duly acknowledged by the public. The Doctor of Alcantara will be performed during the week. Other operas by Mr. Eichberg are announced to be in preparation. We would suggest the propriety of producing the works of other composers. There is a little too much ‘Eichberg’ in the present announcements, just as there was in the pronunciamentos of a former enterprise. There are so many charming works, of a light and popular character, by well-known authors, from which a selection could be made that could not fail to hit the popular taste and prove highly attractive. If permanent success is desired, variety of the best kind must be offered.”

“The eccentric old practitioner of Alcantara, introduced in this city by the clever young composer Mr. Eichberg, is commanding a large practice and nightly dispenses at the handsome little establishment of Messrs. Smith & Baker, his jokes, blunders and ‘inspissated juice of cabbage.’ We have seen this exquisite operetta at least twenty times, and each repetition serves only to increase our enjoyment of it. The music is so light, charming, and intelligible that nothing more appropriate for an American audience could be presented on the metropolitan stage. Then the irascible Donna Lucrella, her sentimental daughter, the lively Inez, ‘that basket,’ and the ‘tender butterfly’ that was in it, the high and mighty Don Hypolite Lopez Pomposo and the ghost-ridden Senor Balthasar become familiar and welcome as old friends now. In Italian Opera there is sometimes very fine and very good music, but how is a grand Italian opera to be appreciated and enjoyed? By familiarity with the score and the composer, for which a knowledge of music is indispensable, by constant study of and hearing the same work over and over again, and by keeping in reserve an immense stock of patience and diligent attention. Even then with the nine-tenths of an American audience the feeling is merely one of admiration. To enjoy a good hearty laugh or to feel the soul melted by the varying illustrations of human passions that pass before the audience, commend us to French opéra comique or American as Mr. Eichberg produces. We hope that the music-loving public of the metropolis will assist this new enterprise of American opera. When the merits of Mr. Eichberg’s works and Mr. Mark Smith’s company are known there is no question whatever but that the elegant theatre of Messrs. Smith & Baker will be crowded more than it is now. A matinee of the Doctor of Alcantara will be given on Saturday, and the Two Cadis is introduced on Monday next.”

Includes cast list.

"Burlesque having failed to fill the New York Theatre with delighted audiences, English opera has been tried with success, Julius Eichberg's comic opera of the 'Doctor of Alcantara' being given on the evening of the 3d to a crowded  house, and on the following evenings with much success. The cast of the opera at this house is as follows . . . With the exception of a little nervousness on the part of one or two of the performers, the opera went off remarkably well. Other operas are in rehearsal to follow this ‘Doctor.’ We are glad to see that the efforts of Messrs. Smith and Baker are beginning to be properly appreciated. The ‘Doctor of Alcantara’ will be repeated until further notice."